# Paul Langton

Paul Langton (April 17, 1913 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Leslie Harrington on the television series Peyton Place.

## Early years

When Langton was 12 years old he moved from Salt Lake City to San Francisco to be with his father, Ernest Langton, a former vaudevillian who then worked in the mailing department of the San Francisco Examiner. He attended Lowell High School and the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California. He worked in the press rooms of The Salt Lake Telegram and the Examiner to finance his education.

## Career

Langton's early stage experience included acting in productions of the Mountain Play Association in California and the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1950 he portrayed Biff in a touring company of Death of a Salesman. He performed on Broadway in Harbor Lights (1956).
Making his movie bow in 1941, Langton became a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, frequently appearing in war films. Later, Langton was seen in character parts or supporting roles in such films as The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). He also was a voice actor on Lux Radio Theatre from 1942 to 1954.
Langton began appearing on television in 1951 in a series called The Web. His first regular role was that of Walter Dennis on the daytime series The Brighter Day. He also made five guest appearances on Perry Mason from 1958 to 1962, three of which were as prosecuting attorneys. But it was the role of Leslie Harrington on the prime time serial Peyton Place (1964–68)$^{:828–829}$ that finally gave him a level of stardom. After he was written out of the series, he appeared in half a dozen other programs including It Takes a Thief (1968), Ironside (TV series) and, in his final role, Emergency!, before retiring due to ill health.

## Personal life and death

Langton was married to Elda Piva. He died in Burbank, California on April 15, 1980, aged 66. Langton was a Mormon.

## Filmography

Films :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1943 | We've Never Been Licked | Naval Officer | Uncredited |
| 1943 | First Comes Courage | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1943 | The Cross of Lorraine | French Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Destination Tokyo | 'Copperfin' Crewman / Barber | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Marriage Is a Private Affair | Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo | Captain 'Ski' York | |
| 1944 | The Thin Man Goes Home | Tom Clayworth | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Dark Shadows | Peter Selkin, Suspect | Short crime drama film unrelated to later supernatural TV series; uncredited |
| 1944 | Gentle Annie | Violet Goss | |
| 1945 | This Man's Navy | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1945 | The Hidden Eye | Barry Gifford | |
| 1945 | Purity Squad | Mr. Winthrop | Short film, Uncredited |
| 1945 | What Next, Corporal Hargrove? | Captain Drake | |
| 1945 | They Were Expendable | Ensign 'Andy' Andrews | |
| 1946 | Magic on a Stick | John Walker | Short film, Uncredited |
| 1946 | The Hoodlum Saint | Bit Part | (scenes deleted) |
| 1946 | Courage of Lassie | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Till the Clouds Roll By | Oscar Hammerstein II | Fictionalized M-G-M musical biopic of composer Jerome Kern |
| 1947 | My Brother Talks to Horses | Mr. Gillespie | |
| 1947 | The Sea of Grass | Young Doctor | Uncredited |
| 1947 | The Romance of Rosy Ridge | Tom Yeary | |
| 1947 | For You I Die | Johnny Coulter | |
| 1948 | Fighting Back | Nick Sanders | |
| 1948 | A Song Is Born | Joe | |
| 1948 | Trouble Preferred | Ed Poole | |
| 1953 | Big Leaguer | Brian McLennan | |
| 1953 | Jack Slade | Dan Traver | |
| 1954 | Return from the Sea | Lieutenant Commander Frank Manley | |
| 1954 | The Snow Creature | Dr. Frank Parrish | |
| 1955 | Dr. Harvey W. Wiley | Harvey W. Wiley | TV movie; episode of Hallmark Hall of Fame |
| 1955 | Murder Is My Beat | Ray Patrick | |
| 1955 | To Hell and Back | Colonel Howe | |
| 1955 | The Big Knife | Buddy Bliss | |
| 1957 | Utah Blaine | Rip Coker | |
| 1957 | The Incredible Shrinking Man | Charlie Carey | |
| 1957 | Calypso Heat Wave | Mack Adams | |
| 1957 | Chicago Confidential | Police Captain Jake Parker | |
| 1958 | Girl in the Woods | Luke Plummer | |
| 1958 | It! The Terror from Beyond Space | Lieutenant James Calder | |
| 1959 | The Cosmic Man | Colonel Matthews | |
| 1959 | Invisible Invaders | Lieutenant General Stone | |
| 1959 | The Last Angry Man | Jack Vickery | Uncredited |
| 1960 | The Big Night | Spencer | |
| 1960 | Three Came to Kill | Agent Ben Scanlon | |
| 1963 | Dime with a Halo | Mr. Jones | |
| 1963 | Twilight of Honor | Air Force Sergeant Kelly | Uncredited |
| 1963 | 4 for Texas | Beauregard | |
| 1964 | Man's Favorite Sport? | Jim Stern | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Advance to the Rear | Major Forsythe | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Shock Treatment | Judge Knox | Uncredited |
| 1964 | Youngblood Hawke | Glenn Hawke | Uncredited |
| TV series ||||
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
| 1951 | Tales of Tomorrow | | Season 1 Episode 7: "The Monsters" |
| 1951–1954 | Danger | | Season 1 Episode 46: "Goodbye, Hannah" (1951) Season 2 Episode 4: "Sleep and Tell" (1951) Season 2 Episode 5: "Inherit Murder" (1951) Season 2 Episode 15: "Passage for Christmas" (1951) Season 2 Episode 33: "Border Incident" (1952) Season 4 Episode 20: "In Line of Duty" (1954) |
| 1951–1954 | Suspense | Winters / Dave Delaney | Season 3 Episode 41: "The Call" (1951) Season 3 Episode 46: "Tent on the Beach" (1951) Season 4 Episode 10: "Frisco Payoff" (1951) as Winters Season 4 Episode 14: "Pier 17" (1951) as Dave Delaney Season 4 Episode 44: "Death Cargo" (1952) Season 6 Episode 22: "Death on the Screen" (1954) |
| 1951–1954 | The Web | | Season 1 Episode 48: "Cops Must Be Tough" (1951) Season 1 Episode 59: "The Edge of Terror" (1951) Season 2 Episode 15: "Sentence of Death" (1952) Season 2 Episode 25: "The Phantom of the Bridge" (1952) Season 2 Episode 31: "Prelude to Murder" (1952) Season 4 Episode 35: "Brush-Off" (1954) |
| 1951–1956 | Kraft Television Theatre | | Season 5 Episode 4: "Irish Eyes" (1951) Season 7 Episode 27: "Two Weeks in the Country" (1954) Season 9 Episode 42: "Babies for Sale" (1956) |
| 1952 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | | Season 2 Episode 30: "Troubled Sands" |
| 1952 | CBS Television Workshop | | Season 1 Episode 14: "Rainy Day on Paradise Junction" |
| 1952 | Goodyear Television Playhouse | | Season 1 Episode 17: "The Lantern Copy" Season 1 Episode 21: "The Trial of Steven Kent" |
| 1952 | The Doctor | | Season 1 Episode 4: "The Baker Story" Season 1 Episode 17: "Marti" |
| 1952–1953 | Chevron Theatre | Mark Tracey | Season 1 Episode 50: "My Brother's Wife" (1952) Season 2 Episode 1: "Island of Stone" (1953) as Mark Tracey Season 2 Episode 3: "The Beautiful Miss X" (1953) Season 2 Episode 24: "The Worried Man" (1953) |
| 1952–1955 | Studio One | (1) Marsh Huddleston (2) Mike Barnaby (3) John Temple | Season 5 Episode 1: "The Kill" (1952) as (1) Season 6 Episode 20: "Herman, Come by Bomber" (1954) as (2) Season 7 Episode 22: "The Broken Spur" (1955) as (3) |
| 1953 | Fireside Theatre | Ben | Season 6 Episode 8: "Phantom of the Bridge" |
| 1953 | Your Jeweler's Showcase | Charlie Harris | Season 1 Episode 20: "Cell 14" |
| 1953–1955 | The Ford Television Theatre | Dr. Chuck Kennedy Frank Johnson | Season 1 Episode 35: "The Jewel" (1953) as Dr. Chuck Kennedy Season 2 Episode 26: "The Taming of the Shrewd" (1954) Season 3 Episode 6: "The Road Ahead" (1954) Season 4 Episode 4: "Twelve to Eternity" (1955) as Frank Johnson |
| 1953–1955 | Letter to Loretta | (1) Fred Broc (2) Roy (3) Norvil Knox (4) Johnny Ames (5) Mark Hodges | Season 1 Episode 4: "Girl on a Flagpole" (1953) as (1) Season 1 Episode 6: "Earthquake" (1953) as (2) Season 1 Episode 18: "Secret Answer" (1954) as (3) Season 2 Episode 4: "The Lamp" (1954) as (4) Season 3 Episode 14: "A Pattern of Deceit" (1955) as (5) |
| 1954 | Cavalcade of America | Captain Joshua Patten | Season 2 Episode 32: "The Skipper's Lady" |
| 1954 | The Public Defender | Gil Wells | Season 1 Episode 16: "Youth Crime Ring" |
| 1954 | The Lone Wolf | Steber | Season 1 Episode 15: "The Las Vegas Story" |
| 1954–1955 | The Lone Ranger | Clay Trowbridge Regis Bassett | Season 4 Episode 1: "The Fugitive" (1954) as Clay Trowbridge Season 4 Episode 51: "Counterfeit Redskins" (1955) as Regis Bassett |
| 1954–1957 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | (1) Mal Martin (2) Landry (3) Cochran (4) Pete Hunter (5) Stacey Harris | Season 3 Episode 45: "Rabbit Foot" (1954) as (1) Season 4 Episode 18: "The Cool One" (1955) as (2) Season 4 Episode 37: "Sentence of Death" (1955) as (3) Season 5 Episode 26: "The Waiting House" (1956) as (4) Season 7 Episode 5: "Smarty" (1957) as (5) |
| 1955 | The Whistler | Max | Season 1 Episode 19: "Sleep My Pretty One" |
| 1955 | Damon Runyon Theater | Barney Reardon | Season 1 Episode 4: "The Lacework Kid" |
| 1955 | City Detective | Philip | Season 2 Episode 30: "Case of the Beautiful Miss X" |
| 1955 | Treasury Men in Action | Scottie Barrow | Season 5 Episode 35: "The Case of the Perfect Gentleman" |
| 1955 | Front Row Center | Douglas Proctor | Season 1 Episode 9: "Guest in the House" |
| 1955 | Celebrity Playhouse | Cowie Thomas | Season 1 Episode 3: "Showdown at San Pablo" |
| 1955 | Four Star Playhouse | Garry Anchor | Season 4 Episode 3: "Let the Chips Fall" |
| 1955 | Frontier | Fred Graham | Season 1 Episode 7: "King of the Dakotas, Part 1" |
| 1955–1956 | Lux Video Theatre | Carl / Matthews | Season 5 Episode 45: "Last Year's Snow" (1955) as Carl Season 6 Episode 18: "Witness to Murder" (1956) as Matthews |
| 1955–1959 | The Millionaire | John 'Jack' Martin Dr. Ralph Spencer | Season 1 Episode 16: "The Jack Martin Story" (1955) as John 'Jack' Martin Season 5 Episode 28: "Millionaire Henry Banning" (1959) as Dr. Ralph Spencer |
| 1956 | Navy Log | Tim Lansing | Season 1 Episode 36: "Night Landing" |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Arthur Summers | Season 2 Episode 2: "Fog Closing In" |
| 1956–1958 | Matinee Theatre | Paul McLean Matt | Season 1 Episode 121: "In Dread of Winter" (1956) Season 2 Episode 13: "A Question of Balance" (1956) as Paul McLean Season 2 Episode 112: "Voyage to Mandok" (1957) Season 3 Episode 88: "Cave-In" (1958) as Matt Season 3 Episode 128: "Walk the Sky" (1958) Season 3 Episode 160: "Course for Collision" (1958) |
| 1957 | The Gray Ghost | Gabe Travers | Season 1 Episode 11: "The Rescue" |
| 1957 | The Restless Gun | Adam Robie | Season 1 Episode 3: "Revenge at Harness Creek" |
| 1957 | Telephone Time | Dr. Samuel Rinehart | Season 3 Episode 13: "Novel Appeal" |
| 1957 | Code 3 | Tim Hayes | Season 1 Episode 38: "Sunset Strip" |
| 1957–1958 | Broken Arrow | Colonel Horn | Season 2 Episode 10: "Renegades Return" (1957) Season 2 Episode 18: "Massacre" (1958) |
| 1957–1959 | State Trooper | Hal Denton Charles Medford | Season 1 Episode 12: "The Cash Out" (1957) as Hal Denton Season 3 Episode 2: "The Trap that Jack Built" (1959) as Charles Medford |
| 1958 | M Squad | Van Wert | Season 1 Episode 16: "The Cover-Up" |
| 1958 | Mike Hammer | Frank Beulah Lew Fallon | Season 1 Episode 3: "Hot Hands, Cold Dice" as Frank Beulah Season 1 Episode 29: "Four Blind Mice" as Lew Fallon |
| 1958 | The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen | Police Lieutenant Peter Maas | Season 1 Episode 6: "Cat of Many Tails" |
| 1958 | Lawman | Matt Saint | Season 1 Episode 9: "Bloodline" |
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 | Paul Newton | Season 3 Episode 10: "Free Weekend" |
| 1958 | Steve Canyon | Major Martin | Season 1 Episode 12: "Pilot Error" |
| 1958–1961 | Gunsmoke | Major Evans Killion Rob Curtin | Season 4 Episode 3: "Gunsmuggler" (1958) as Major Evans Season 5 Episode 15: "Tag, You're It" (1959) as Killion Season 6 Episode 34: "The Imposter" (1961) as Rob Curtin |
| 1958–1962 | Wagon Train | Father Martin Ralph Morse | Season 2 Episode 2: "The Juan Ortega Story" (1958) as Father Martin Season 5 Episode 30: "The Terry Morrell Story" (1962) as Ralph Morse |
| 1958–1962 | Perry Mason | (1) Harry Vance (2) Simon Atley (3) & (5) Deputy District Attorney Bertram Telford (4) Prosecutor Green | Season 1 Episode 24: "The Case of the Deadly Double" (1958) as (1) Season 3 Episode 8: "The Case of the Bartered Bikini" (1959) as (2) Season 4 Episode 6: "The Case of the Wandering Widow" (1960) as (3) Season 4 Episode 22: "The Case of the Cowardly Lion" (1961) as (4) Season 5 Episode 27: "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank" (1962) as (5) |
| 1959 | The Lineup | | Season 5 Episode 16: "The Frederick Freemont Case" |
| 1959 | Zane Grey Theater | Tom Lamont | Season 3 Episode 20: "Deadfall" |
| 1959 | Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond | Mr. Garrick | Season 1 Episode 8: "Premonition" |
| 1959 | The Rough Riders | Rudabaugh | Season 1 Episode 32: "Forty-Five Caliber Law" |
| 1959 | Men Into Space | Major Dr. Warnecke | Season 1 Episode 4: "Water Tank Rescue" Season 1 Episode 12: "Christmas on the Moon" |
| 1959–1963 | The Twilight Zone | Doctor / George | Season 1 Episode 1: "Where Is Everybody?" (series pilot) (1959) as Doctor Season 4 Episode 16: "On Thursday We Leave for Home" (1963) as George |
| 1960 | Tightrope | Lieutenant Harkness | Season 1 Episode 17: "Night of the Gun" |
| 1960 | Markham | Lieutenant Gromby | Season 1 Episode 31: "Sing a Song of Murder" |
| 1960 | Hawaiian Eye | John O'Neil | Season 1 Episode 19: "Hong Kong Passage" |
| 1960 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Frisbee / Leo Summers | Season 4 Episode 30: "Trading Post" as Frisbee Season 5 Episode 11: "Jeff Davis' Treasure" as Leo Summers |
| 1960 | Law of the Plainsman | Sergeant Sean McGrath | Season 1 Episode 29: "Cavern of the Wind" |
| 1960 | Not for Hire | Saunders | Season 1 Episode 30: "The General's Daughter" |
| 1960 | Rawhide | Henry J. Porter | Season 2 Episode 30: "Incident of the Silent Web" |
| 1960 | Shotgun Slade | Convict #1 | Season 1 Episode 36: "A Flower on Boot Hill" |
| 1960 | The Chevy Mystery Show | Dr. Walter Halsey | Season 1 Episode 3: "The Summer Hero" |
| 1960 | Bat Masterson | Marshal | Season 3 Episode 1: "Debt of Honor" |
| 1960–1962 | The Untouchables | Bob Wheaton Carleton Edmunds | Season 1 Episode 22: "The White Slavers" as Bob Wheaton Season 4 Episode 11: "The Floyd Gibbons Story" as Carleton Edmunds |
| 1961 | National Velvet | Reg Tolland | Season 1 Episode 19: "The Colt" |
| 1961 | Laramie | Sheriff | Season 2 Episode 16: "Killer Without Cause" |
| 1961 | The Brothers Brannagan | Frankie Lyons | Season 1 Episode 17: "Overexposed" |
| 1961 | Lassie | Sergeant Nolan | Season 7 Episode 22: "The Patriot" |
| 1961 | Tallahassee 7000 | Todd | Season 1 Episode 7: "The Violent Night" |
| 1961 | Adventures in Paradise | Dr. Stan Sandholm | Season 2 Episode 21: "Angel of Death" |
| 1961 | The Roaring 20's | Lieutenant Michael Carey | Season 1 Episode 20: "War with the Nighthawkers" |
| 1961 | Cheyenne | Clairmont Sheriff | Season 6 Episode 4: "The Young Fugitives" |
| 1961 | Checkmate | The Architect | Season 2 Episode 9: "The Two of Us" |
| 1961 | 77 Sunset Strip | Mark Evans | Season 4 Episode 15: "The Chrome Coffin" |
| 1962 | Ripcord | Haney | Season 1 Episode 34: "Log Jam" |
| 1962 | Bus Stop | Bob Pearson | Season 1 Episode 15: "Summer Lightning" |
| 1962 | Alcoa Premiere | Sullivan | Season 1 Episode 26: "A Place to Hide" |
| 1962 | The Eleventh Hour | Assistant District Attorney Walter Maylie | Season 1 Episode 7: "Angie, You Made My Heart Stop" |
| 1962 | Mister Ed | Frank Gordon | Season 3 Episode 12: "Wilbur the Masher" |
| 1962 | The Brighter Day | Walter Dennis | Unknown episode |
| 1963 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. Tab Lamb | Season 2 Episode 14: "Love is a Sad Song" |
| 1963 | The Virginian | Bartlett | Season 1 Episode 18: "Say Goodbye to All That" |
| 1963 | The Fugitive | Sheriff | Season 1 Episode 10: "Fatso" |
| 1964 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Sheriff Johnny Kyle | Season 1 Episode 11: "The Deep End" |
| 1964 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | Beaufoy | Season 1 Episode 21: "The Day of the Lame Duck" |
| 1964-1968 | Peyton Place | Leslie Harrington | 219 episodes |
| 1968 | The Outcasts | Gregg Jeremy | Season 1 Episode 3: "Three Ways to Die" |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief | Preston Washburne | Season 2 Episode 11: "Glass Riddle" |
| 1970 | The Immortal | Walter Hiller | Season 1 Episode 1: "Sylvia" |
| 1971 | Ironside | Judge | Season 4 Episode 24: "Lesson in Terror" |
| 1971 | My Three Sons | Father O'Hara | Season 12 Episode 12: "The Sound of Music" |
| 1972 | Emergency! | Myron Gilmore | Season 1 Episode 2: "Botulism" (final appearance) |